water rates

havetogo

Can any one advise please.It concerns water rates on houses which used to be 3 bedrooms which are now 2. I understand the water rates are assessed on the rateable value of house,but what if if the house is shrunk as above, plus if the tenancy lessens in the house, I have an elderly neighbour who seems to be paying a very large amount for water,however houses directly across from her pay the same with more people in them and have 3 bedrooms,she has 2. I would like to advise this neighbour if there may be discounts available for the likes of people in her position and others namely lone parents and single occupants, these are unmetered and semi detached houses.At the risk of sounding pompous may I have any details in plain language I thankyou in advance for any contribution The supplier is United Utilities

Louise

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

No. There is no mechanisim to adjust or change the Rateable Value(RV) of any property. The RV extant in 1989 will remain the same and be the only basis on which water charges are assessed, unless you get a meter of course.

Even if the house was extended and doubled in size from a 3 bed to 6 bed the RV would still stay the same. Although if the water company found out they might insist that a meter be fitted.

Incidentally the number of bedrooms did not necesarily have any effect of the RV of a property; it was perfectly possible to have a huge old 6 bed house with a lower RV than a 2 bed semi.

The number of people in a house, be it a single occupant or 10 people, has never affected the water charges for a house assessed on its RV.

nashly

Cardew wrote: »

Welcome to the forum.

No. There is no mechanisim to adjust or change the Rateable Value(RV) of any property. The RV extant in 1989 will remain the same and be the only basis on which water charges are assessed, unless you get a meter of course.

Even if the house was extended and doubled in size from a 3 bed to 6 bed the RV would still stay the same. Although if the water company found out they might insist that a meter be fitted.

Incidentally the number of bedrooms did not necesarily have any effect of the RV of a property; it was perfectly possible to have a huge old 6 bed house with a lower RV than a 2 bed semi.

The number of people in a house, be it a single occupant or 10 people, has never affected the water charges for a house assessed on its RV.

There is a difference if you change the size of your property up or down, it may mean the rateable value is no longer valid and a new fixed charge is applied to suit the changes.

Cardew

nashly wrote: »

There is a difference if you change the size of your property up or down, it may mean the rateable value is no longer valid and a new fixed charge is applied to suit the changes.

Thats why I said "Although if the water company finds out they may insist on a meter being fitted." The implication being that the RV is not valid.

A far more common scenario is huge old unmodernised houses that had an extremely low RV as they were not desirable as rental properties.

They have now been modernised - CH fitted etc etc and still retain their low RV.

The bottom line is that there is no way the RV will be changed.